ROCHESTER, NY – New sushi combinations that dazzle like fireworks have arrived at Wegmans Food Markets in time for Independence Day festivities. That’s a good reason to celebrate, so Wegmans is throwing a Sushi Firecracker Launch Party on Friday June 29 from noon-2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m., and on Saturday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Most Wegmans stores will join the fun with sushi areas decked out in red, white, and blue balloons.
Customers can
• Taste Wegmans’ new Firecracker Shrimp Roll, a great combo of crispy fried tempura shrimp tossed in “firecracker” sauce, with blanched asparagus, roasted red pepper, and Wegmans’ signature koshihikari rice all rolled up in a pineapple-habanero wrap.
• Watch Firecracker Shrimp Rolls assembled, rolled and cut by sushi chefs.
• Learn about how best to use condiments.
• Get free firecracker temporary tattoos for kids.
• Get $1 coupons good for sushi or sashimi combinations.
• Sample teas and beers that go well with sushi.
• Sign up, at select locations, for a $20 one-hour, hands-on “Sushi 101” class.
The new Firecracker Shrimp Roll is a perfect example of how the sushi family is expanding in exciting new directions at Wegmans. “Many people think sushi means rice and raw fish,” says Executive Chef John Emerson, who oversees Wegmans’ sushi program. “Sushi actually just means vinegared rice. All other ingredients besides the seasoned rice are optional, so our chefs have been creating new combinations with flavors and ingredients people in this country especially love, including varieties with a little extra spice and without raw seafood, like the new Firecracker Shrimp Roll,.”
New Sushi Rice Bowls like these also will be for sale:
• Spicy Shrimp Bowl: Signature koshihikari rice topped with spicy shrimp and crispy onions.
• Tuna Bowl: Signature koshihikari rice topped with sashimi tuna and spicy tuna mix, avocado and tomagoyaki (sweet Japanese omelet).
• Chirashi bowl: Signature koshihikari rice topped with sashimi tuna, salmon, tilapia, crabstick, shrimp, avocado, and tomagoyaki (sweet Japanese omelet).
Emerson has played the leading role in the latest chapter of the sushi story at Wegmans. Two years ago, the company sent him and his team to the sushi capital of the world to learn from Japanese masters how to make sushi-house quality fare. After that trip, Wegmans sought new suppliers for the two most basic ingredients in sushi, short grain rice and seasoned vinegar. Marukan, a 350-year-old Japanese firm, developed a custom blend of its seasoned vinegar for Wegmans, with the right balance of sweet, sour and salty taste notes. Tamaki Gold, a California rice grower, agreed to supply Wegmans with freshly milled rice short-grain each month. The company also upgraded equipment, tools and staff education.
Since the Japan trip, Wegmans chefs have made sushi a focus for culinary innovation with new flavors, ingredients, and textures Americans are fond of, like crunchiness or spice. Traditional sushi and sashimi varieties with raw seafood are also available. Customers have shown their enthusiasm for this quality and variety by purchasing sushi more often than ever before.
“I’ve loved exploring one of the world’s great culinary traditions more deeply and working with a team that’s so enthusiastic about taking sushi in new directions,” Emerson says. “We continue to launch new varieties and options for people that traditionally might not eat sushi.”
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., is an 80-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Virginia. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is widely recognized as an industry leader and innovator. Named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for fifteen consecutive years, Wegmans ranked #4 on the list in 2012.
Source: Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.